Roadshow happy to strike more ISP content deals

 

Dealing with piracy in an NBN world.

Roadshow - one of the plaintiffs in the copyright case against iiNet - was more than happy to strike content deals with ISPs as long as they were negotiated “within a copyright framework”.

The entertainment giant said today that it would expect “regulations” that stemmed from the outcome of that case to deal with potential issues of piracy on the national broadband network.

However, it could not comment at length due to the potential for appeal.

Greg Sneddon, a sales director of Roadshow’s television and digital division, believed service providers could be “a fantastic distribution point for content.”

“We’re more than happy to do those deals when they’re within an appropriate copyright framework,” Sneddon said.

“We have absolutely no limitations on working with [ISPs for content distribution].”

The company had struck a content deal with iiNet even as the copyright case progressed.

When asked whether he would expect action from the NBN Co to counter piracy on its network before Roadshow would look at it as a potential distribution engine, Sneddon responded that he thought “thats going to come out of the court [judgement] and how it will be regulated.”

The film industry had already made it clear that it will step up pressure on the Federal Government to deal with piracy on internet networks.

Sneddon used his appearance at the Broadband and Beyond 2010 forum in Sydney to add his weight to standards work across the world aimed at simplifying how content is encoded and the digital rights management that was attached to it.

He believed consumers wanted out of the “walled garden” approach to digital content that isolated purchases to the individual platforms they were bought from.

He also believed the internet represented a major opportunity for content providers.

“There’s no doubt our world is being turned upside down. The [new] world is pretty much unknown but is absolutely limitless,” Sneddon said.

“Aside from the piracy issue, every media organisation is going to see absolute opportunity in the internet.

“The thing that’s going for us is that content consumption globally is increasing by 3-5-8 percent year-in year-out.”

He believed potential online models included subscription but also posed more radical ideas where content could go through different “lifecycles” - for example, from paid to advertising-supported and potentially to free.


Roadshow happy to strike more ISP content deals
"DRM locking in is dead. Region locking in is dead. All it does it hurt legitimate customers. People want to 'buy' something like a tv show on-line and be able to watch an episode on a media ..."
By Lamby
 
 
 
Comments: 4
longsword
Feb 11, 2010 7:54 AM
One of the few content holders who seem to looking at reasonable ways around the problem. DRM locking has always annoyed me I have about 40 movies that had digital copies which as I don't use a Microsoft approved device for media streaming (I use a PS3 in one room and my Samsung TV has embedded ability) are useless to me.
Rhino
Feb 11, 2010 9:13 AM
So even after contributing substantial donations to both the Labor and Liberal parties, and then having their asses spanked in a court case...now they want to negotiate with ISP's.

As for them stepping up pressure on governments, since when is it the responsibility of governments to ensure major corporations profit margins are maintained, instead of serving the people.

I though governments were elected by the people to serve the people. not be elected by the people to serve big business.

If the studios want to protect their material, do it themselves.
laman
Feb 11, 2010 9:39 AM
Damn it! Only after they failed the court case, they are now keen on negotiating with the ISP.

Hope they are not going to put the DRM on the content distribution. I would not buy it if I am limited to see the content only on 1 of my computers, or one of my TV etc. Once I pay for the content, it should be up to me on which devices I am watching them.
Lamby
Feb 11, 2010 10:34 PM
DRM locking in is dead. Region locking in is dead. All it does it hurt legitimate customers.

People want to 'buy' something like a tv show on-line and be able to watch an episode on a media player, then finish watching that episode on a mac in the bedroom, the next episode on an ipod on the way to work, the next at a PC at work, the next they want to burn to a DVD so they can watch it on the portable DVD player for the car. And they expect it to be cheaper than the 'box set'. They want to be able to watch it as soon as it is aired anywhere in the world - so they can participate in global discussion lists.

Without this, it gives people a reason to 'borrow' a copy from a friend or 2000 on the Internet.

How can Big Media not see that they could make a lot of money by selling this? Instead they stick their heads in the sand and keep applying lipstick to the DRM pig. They still think that taking their customers to court is a valid business plan!
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